Five cops killed in clash with al-Shabaab in Boni Forest, Lamu

At least five police officers were killed Tuesday evening in a clash with suspected terrorists in Lamu’s Boni Forest.

Five other officers from the elite Special Operations Group were injured in the clash in the Lehelo area, police said.

The team was ambushed as they pursued the gunmen believed to be al Shabaab terrorists operating in the expansive forest.

The team had been trailing the terrorists for two days following intelligence that they were hiding in the forest and planned a large-scale attack.

It was then that they ran into an ambush by a large group of terrorists who were waiting, leading to the deaths.

Police believe there were casualties on the side of the attackers.

The injured were later flown to Nairobi for specialised treatment.

This is the latest such attack to happen in the area amid operations to address the trend.

Multi-agency teams have mounted operations to address the menace amid continuous attacks.

On Thursday, Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen spent Labour Day visiting police officers injured in the line of duty who are undergoing treatment at Nairobi West Hospital.

Nine officers sustained injuries in the fight against crime in various parts of the country, while one was injured in Haiti.  

Murkomen also revealed that five police officers had died in recent operations across the country. 

“Our security officers sacrifice a lot to keep us safe and secure, and they need our support,” said the CS, who was flanked by Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, DIG (KPS) Eliud Lagat and DIG(APS) Gilbert Masengeli, among other senior security officials.

He added that the Government is committed to improving the welfare of police officers through various reforms, which include better working conditions and pay as well as enhanced medical care.

The attack came months after the terrorists probed part of the Lamu area in what locals said were part of plans to launch an attack.

The gunmen were mostly armed with AK-47 rifles and hooded, witnesses said.

They stormed the villages and lectured locals for about 30 minutes about the importance of respecting Islam and its teachings.

They also the locals not to cooperate with the government, witnesses said.

Before leaving, they warned locals not to tell the police or the military about their presence in the village.

Police have called on locals to share information about the gunmen with security agencies so as to help flush out the militants.

Lamu has for years been the scene of terrorist attacks targeting both locals and security officers.

The most devastating strike happened in Mpeketoni and Kibaoni on the night of June 15, 2014, when more than 90 people were killed.

The area is under a special operation code-named Operation Linda Boni to flush out the terrorists there.

Masalani, Sangailu, Ijara and Handaro are all within the Linda Boni Operation zone.

The multi-agency operation seeks to flush out al-Shabaab militants from Boni Forest.

More than 100 security agents have been killed in Lamu, Garissa, Wajir and Mandera Counties in IED attacks in the past years.

This has affected development at large.

The government has been developing the area as part of efforts to address the menace.

This includes the development of the local port, construction of roads and other social amenities, which have opened up the area for business and other operations.